WHO WE ARE

We are a national strategy, communications, and organizing center working to connect and empower the 40% of Americans who identify themselves as independents. Our mission is to develop a movement of independent voters, in partnership with Americans of all persuasions, to reform America’s political process, create unorthodox coalitions and use our democracy to develop our nation.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE INDEPENDENT

Four in ten voters don’t want to be in a political party. Why? Because parties have become special interests — perhaps the biggest special interests of all.

Independents become independents because we are repelled by the current political system—by the self-dealing and arrogance of politicians and political parties. We are 43% of the country today. Many are young. Growing numbers are from the communities of color. Among millennials and Latinos, 50% identify as independent and 35% of African American between the ages of 18 - 34 are independent. We have been, and continue to be, a restless engine for political and economic renewal.

Independents care deeply about our identity. We go by many names: “Decline to State,” “Unaligned,” “No Party Preference,” “Other.” In states where independents are forced to join a party to vote in a primary, there is anger. Voters of all persuasions believe this is unfair. When people choose a political identity that is other than what the parties want, it is an act of resistance and a step towards changing the partisan nature of the system.

Issues that animate independents across the political spectrum aren’t really issues in the traditional sense. They are about process, the way things work. After this election cycle, many people became educated about the pitfalls of the process—closed primaries which locked out nearly 25 million voters; controlled presidential debates; the convention delegate selection rules; the electoral college; and so forth. Independent voters became more visible as a result. We believe that independent voters deserve respect, recognition and reform and we work in every state—from the ground up—to make that possible.

Independents have been, and continue to be, a restless engine for political and economic renewal.

OUR HISTORY / Our MISSION

While the major political parties redefined themselves in the 1980's and the 1990's--via Reaganism and Clintonism--encroaching on each other’s electoral coalitions to win the White House, diverse Americans began to chafe at the idea that the Republican and Democratic Parties reflected their aspirations for the 21st Century. The numbers of Americans who identified as independents began to grow.

During that time, independent presidential campaigns large and small—with candidates as politically diverse as Ross Perot, Lenora Fulani, Ron Paul, and Ralph Nader—demonstrated a public appetite for political alternatives. The major parties and major media railed against these “outsider” choices, ignoring or demeaning those Americans who refused to ally with any political party. To many in the progressive wing of the independent movement, it seemed that creating a new political culture would require some unorthodox coalitions and a set of meaningful structural changes to the political process itself. The percentage of independents rose to 43%. Political revolts simmered just below the surface.

We were initially founded in 1994 as the Committee for a Unified Independent Party (“CUIP”), to spur the creation of a new national party out of the Perot revolt. Our mission was to create a left/center/right multiracial alliance and to press for a set of political reform principles that empowered Americans across ideological, racial and geographic lines.

PRESIDENT

JACKIE SALIT

PRESIDENT

JACKIE SALIT

Jacqueline Salit, President of Independent Voting, is a political innovator and advocate for the rights of independent voters. She has built the largest network of independent leaders and activists in the country. Her network is a sought after coalition partner in pursuit of political and structural reform.

Salit hosts regular national conference calls with hundreds of activist independents nationwide. Her firsthand account of this growing and influential voting bloc, Independents Rising: Outsider Movements, Third Parties and the Struggle for a Post-Partisan America, was published in 2012 by Palgrave Macmillan.

An architect of ground breaking independent presidential runs in the 1980’s and 1990’s, Salit played a central role in the 1988 “Two Roads are Better Than One” campaign of Lenora Fulani, the first African American to achieve 50-state ballot access, who parlayed Jesse Jackson’s Democratic Party run into a platform for black political independence. Salit was a frontline figure in shaping a coalition with Ross Perot and the Perot movement which led to the founding of the Reform Party in 1997. Within the Reform Party, Salit brought together left, right and center Americans under its non-ideological independent tent.

In 2008, Salit’s network of independent voters galvanized support for Barack Obama in the open Democratic primaries, key to Obama’s primary win over Hillary Clinton and his general election win over John McCain.

Salit managed Michael Bloomberg’s three campaigns for New York City Mayor on the Independence Party (IP) line, playing a crucial role in delivering the IP’s margin-of-victory-vote in 2001 and 2009, and the exodus of 47% of African American voters from the Democratic Party to support Bloomberg in 2005. Bloomberg and Salit partnered in 2003 in an effort to bring a nonpartisan election system to New York City. A second effort, in 2010, never came to the ballot.

Over the years, Salit and IV have supported ballot initiatives for nonpartisan primaries as well as legal and political defense of open primaries in Idaho, Hawaii, South Carolina, New Jersey, California, Oregon and Arizona.
Salit has hosted five national conferences bringing together independents, political reform leaders and community organizers from across the country. The next conference is scheduled for March 2017.

Independent Voting hosts its ninth National Conference of Independents.

2017

Independent Voting hosts its ninth National Conference of Independents.

Independent Voting reaches out to supporters of Bernie Sanders

2016

Independent Voting reaches out to supporters of Bernie Sanders who are among the 24 million independents nationally blocked from voting in the first round due to closed primaries. Helps to form New Yorkers for Primary Reform after protests draw national media attention to NY’s closed primary barring 3.4 million independents from voting and backs efforts in Colorado and South Dakota to open the states’ primaries. CO’s Prop 107 passes with 63.7% of the vote, creating an open presidential primary system that allows all voters to participate, including the 36% of voters in the state who are registered independent. Prop 108 passes with 52.5% of the vote, leveling the playing field for independents in CO, allowing them to cast ballots in state and local primaries. SD Amendment V for top two primaries receives backing from AARP and League of Women Voters and garners 45% of the vote.

Independent Voters for Arizona formed

2015

Independent Voters for Arizona formed.

Independent Voting joins the EndPartisanship coalition

2014

Independent Voting joins theEndPartisanship coalition, files lawsuit with Independent Voter Project (IVP) in NJ federal court challenging state’s election process in which nearly half of voters are barred from voting in primaries because they are independent. Joins Equal Vote coalition in OR and backs passage of top two primary initiative. Missouri Independents Stand Together (MIST) founded.

Independent Voting pressures Hawaii Democratic Party to withdraw its federal lawsuit attempting to close state’s primaries to independents.

Publication of Independents Rising: Outsider Movements, Third Parties, and the Struggle for a Post-Partisan America (Palgrave Macmillan) authored by Jacqueline Salit.

2012

Publication of Independents Rising: Outsider Movements, Third Parties, and the Struggle for a Post-Partisan America (Palgrave Macmillan) authored by Jacqueline Salit. Publishers Weekly calls it “Earnest and informative…Covering both national and regional concerns, the book is strongest when it demystifies the movement itself…[Independents Rising] gives necessary voice to voters who are fed up with partisan politics and desire change.” Independent Ohio founded. Efforts to persuade Obama to rebuild the 2008 coalition with independent voters are turned down by Obama re-election campaign leaders. Mitt Romney wins majority of the independent vote.

U.S. District Judge in South Carolina grants coalition of independents, voter groups and black elected officials organized by Independent Voting

2011

U.S. District Judge in South Carolina grants coalition of independents, voter groups and black elected officials organized by Independent Voting, the right to intervene in defense of state’s open primary system. Groups include the South Carolina Independence Party; the South Carolina Constitution Party; the Progressive Network Education Fund, Inc. the Columbia Tea party, Inc.; and 13 members of the Black Legislative Caucus of South Carolina. Across state lines, North Carolina Independents founded.

Measure passes with 54% of the vote and gives state’s 3.4 million independents the right to vote in primaries

2010

Independent Voting, along with its California affiliate Independent Voice, works in coalition with Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for passage of Prop 14 for top two open primaries. Measure passes with 54% of the vote and gives state’s 3.4 million independents the right to vote in primaries. Independent Voters of Nevada founded.

Independent Voting mobilizes national networks to support Obama insurgency

2008

Using the ChIP fusion strategy, Independent Voting mobilizes national networks to support Obama insurgency. Independents vote in 33 open primary and caucus states, giving Obama edge over Clinton. Utah League of Independent Voters founded. Independent Voting wins right to intervene in federal lawsuit brought by the Idaho GOP attempting to close the state’s primary to independents and institute a system of partisan registration while representing eleven independent voters from Twin Falls, Salmon, Filer and Jerome, along with The American Independent Movement of Idaho (AIM).

Independent Voting’s New Hampshire affiliate helps defeat HB 196

2007

Independent Voting’s New Hampshire affiliate helps defeat HB 196 which would have denied independents the right to re-claim their independent status at the polls immediately after voting in a statewide primary.

CUIP launches Let Nader Debate campaign, a grassroots petitioning effort calling for independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader’s inclusion in the debates. Thousands of signatures are gathered and sent to President Bush in an open letter urging him to use his authority as president to intervene in the matter.

Nonpartisan elections measure is placed on the ballot in New York City by Mayor Bloomberg’s Charter Revision Commission.

2003

Nonpartisan elections measure, a means to transfer power from the parties to the people, is placed on the ballot in New York City by Mayor Bloomberg’s Charter Revision Commission. Initiative draws fierce opposition from the parties, the media and the political establishment. Similar efforts follow in California, Oregon and Arizona. CUIP initiates Choosing an Independent President (ChIP) process. Howard Dean, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich, Al Sharpton, and Ralph Nader participate, leading to a partnership with Ralph Nader in 2004. Four years later, the ChIP process yields support for Barack Obama. Independents deliver Obama’s margin of victory over Hillary Clinton. CUIP supporters and affiliate groups hold debate watch parties.

CUIP California affiliate Independent Voice forms.

2002

CUIP California affiliate Independent Voice forms. Independents representing a cross section of local and national third parties and voter associations submit a formal Advisory Opinion Request to the Federal Elections Commission, asking the FEC to allow federal funding to be allocated to a coalition who, in the aggregate, earn 5% of the national vote for their respective candidates. The FEC refuses.

CUIP backs a partnership between mayoral candidate Mike Bloomberg and the Independence Party of NYC

2001

CUIP backs a partnership between mayoral candidate Mike Bloomberg and the Independence Party of NYC, finding common ground in support for nonpartisan elections. An agreement is reached that, if elected, Bloomberg will introduce an initiative for nonpartisan municipal primaries. Bloomberg runs as a fusion candidate and receives his margin of victory on the Independence Party line.

CUIP turns away from party building to movement building, focusing on the 43% of Americans who identify as independents.

2000

CUIP turns away from party building to movement building, focusing on the 43% of Americans who identify as independents. Advocates for structural reforms to empower independent voters: open primaries and presidential debates key among them. Drawing on long history of efforts to open the presidential debates—lawsuits against IRS, League of Women Voters and The Commission on Presidential Debates (1988, 1992), and testimony before FEC and Congressional hearings, etc.—CUIP launches a Campaign to Change the Question on the presidential debate poll, urging that the 15% criteria used for inclusion in the debates should be based on the question, “Who do you want to see in the debates?” not “Who are you going to vote for?”

Economist Pat Choate introduces CUIP leaders to Pat Buchanan

1999

Economist Pat Choate introduces CUIP leaders to Pat Buchanan who considers leaving the Republican Party and seeking the Reform Party nomination for president. CUIP forms a left/center/right alliance with Buchanan to bring together his “peasant army” with CUIP’s progressive and urban base, provoking a public uproar over the ideological mismatch. Lenora Fulani endorses Buchanan’s Reform bid but withdraws several months later after he violates his agreement to not tamper with the Reform Party’s internal party politics or attempt to turn it into a right wing party. Buchanan campaign is tanked.

Black Reformers Network extends Reform Party base into black and Latino communities under guidance of former independent presidential candidate Dr. Lenora Fulani. CUIP helps to design and execute the first model of a national online open primary in a direct democracy experiment to select the Reform Party presidential nominee. One million Americans sign up by phone or online to participate. Ernst & Young supervises the balloting process.

CUIP President Jacqueline Salit directs Reform Party’s efforts to oppose Fast Track authority for the President

1996

CUIP President Jacqueline Salit directs Reform Party’s efforts to oppose Fast Track authority for the President, a special power needed to pursue aggressive globalization. Fast Track is defeated. Salit also manages the creation of an immigration platform that fuses left/center/right views into a pro-reform package.

Ross Perot persuaded to lay groundwork for a party—the Reform Party—in connection with his second run for president as an independent.

1995

Ross Perot persuaded to lay groundwork for a party—the Reform Party—in connection with his second run for president as an independent. CUIP is a leading advocate for this approach, pushing Perot to invest in bottom-up party building and infrastructure development, with little success.

Reform Party struggles to move beyond Perot

1999

Reform Party struggles to move beyond Perot. CUIP forces join with networks allied with Jesse Ventura to elect a new party chairman from outside the Perot clique. CUIP’s Lenora Fulani wins 45% of the delegate vote for vice chair at the Dearborn, Michigan convention, giving strong indication of grassroots support for black/independent alliance.

CUIP founded in the wake of the Perot rebellion

1994

CUIP founded in the wake of the Perot rebellion, giving rise to a left/center/right coalition. Participates in founding the national Patriot Party, an unorthodox coalition of the overtaxed and underserved. “Simply put,” states chairman Nick Sabatine in convention remarks “independents are now the majority party in America. And I think our presence here today disproves another myth about independents, that we’re all angry white men. Judging by our delegates I would say that independents, at least Patriot Party independents, are also angry white women, angry black women, angry black men. We are America here.”